Undergarment



LMSJIMM H. F. GEIST UNDERGARMENT Filed March 27. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HnRRY E GEIS'L BY TTORNEY Dec. 18 1923. 1,478,@6

H. F. GEIST UNDERGARMEN T Filed March 27, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HHRRV F G'EIST Patented Dec. 18, 1923..

HARRY r. enisr, or nunone, ILLINOIS.

UNDERGABMENT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY F. GEIs'r, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Aurora, in the county of Kane and the a State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Undergarments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates more particularly to summer union suits or drawers of the knee length, loose fitting type, known as athletic under-Wear.

This invention provides ,a garment in 16 which the leg extremities are formed on a bias which varies the length of the legs gradually and without corners from a point above the knee in the rear to a point well below the knee in front, the purpose of which is to provide shieldsto protect the knees in front from chafing otherwise caused by the rubbing of woolen trousers on bare knees and also to protect the trousers from the detrimental efi'ects of moisture, oil, salt and acid of perspiration, all in a free hanging, loose fitting garment with no material to curl and bunch annoyingly under the bended knee in the rear.

This invention is designed to eliminate the need of knee linings sometimes sewed into trousers.

It is the particular purpose of this invention to provide such a garment with such knee shields so fashioned by design with the rest of the garment and integral therewith that they will hang properly intermediate the wearers knees and the outer-garment without loose corners to flap out of place, without material to crease and fold at the sides of the knees and especially without the need of straps or other means to hold the shields in place. Such straps or other means are regarded as a nuisance because they are liable to break loose in wear or during laundrying.

This invention is further designed to be simple and cheap to manufacture, and consists in the several features set forth and more particularly defined by the claims at the conclusion hereof.-

In the drawings which embody my invention,

Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of a union suit with humanlegs shown dotted in about their proper place.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a flat pattern view of parts which form one leg covering of the garment.

Fig. 4 isa side elevation of a modified construction,

Fig. 5 is a fiat pattern view of the parts which form one leg covering of the modified construction.

F ig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing features about the knee with force diagrams to aid in explaining the functions of the component parts.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings, 10 represents the garment as a whole comprising a washable covering for the torso of a human body, made of such light material as nainsook, muslin, or silk, with two leg sections 11; terminating in part just above the knees. The usual garment terminates at about the line 1-1 and exposes the bare knee in front to the trousers, especially when the wearer is in a sitting posture. Attention is called to the fact that all the improvements disclosed in this specification are below the line 1-1.

Such a garment usually is composed of a main front section 12 united to a main back section 13 by a system of seams 14. Sections 12 and 13 are called the main parts of the leg covers 11 to distinguish from added improvements describedforthwith. The drawings are also provided with a series of letters A, B, C, D, E and F to show how the patterns unite to form the leg coverings. Thus in Fig. 3, A, B, C, and D, E, F of section 12 unite with A, B, C and D, E, F respectively of sections 13 in seams l4 producing the points A, B, C, D, E, F as shown.

The design represented by Figs. 1, 2 and 3 shows the main front sections 12 extending continuously and suiiiciently downward so as to project well below the knee caps in front forming shields therefor, as indicated by 12'. Parts of the main back section 13 also extend below the line 1-1 forming two tip like extremities 13' for each leg, best shown by Fig. 3. The hollowed space between the tips 13 allows for exposure and freedom of the knee in the rear.

From Fig. 3 it is also seen that the main back section 13 narrows abruptly on both its edges A B C and D E F below the line 1-1 so that the distance C D is considerably less than B E.

It will also be seen from Fig. 3 that the edges BC and DE are materially longer than the edges BC and D with which they unite. A difference of from 15 to 25 percent in these lengths has been found to give very satisfactory results. The purpose is to allow for a slight shirrin gathering or other means 15 in the edges 0 and DE as illustrated by Fig. 2, so that the points 0 and D will coincide with C and D respectively when A, B, E, F meet their respective points A, B, E, F, Means 15 give a slightcupped or fullness effect to the shields 12 and aid in running the seams l4, freely around the curved edges of parts 13 Fig. 2 also shows that with the back sections narrowing abruptly at the tips 13 the front shields 12 are drawn inward and upward so as to incline slightly toward the legs 18 as shown by the angle 17.

Angle 17 could also have been produced by darts 16 located in the tips 13 had the back section 13 as a whole been of pattern A B G D E F instead of A B C D F/ F. Besides causing the shields 12 to hang inclined toward the legs 18, the abrupt narrowing of the back section at tips 13 narrows the leg opening compared with What it would otherwise be. See distance 0 to D, Fig. 1.

It has been discovered that the means which cause the shields 12 to hang inclined toward the legs, (namely the abrupt narrowing of sections 18 at 13 or darts 16) also give the shields 12 some of their cupped or imbricated effect and that the means 15 which give 12 the cupped or imbricated effect also tend to cause them to hang slightly inclined toward the legs, each method considered by itself, but for best results both methods are co-ordinated.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 shown a modified design of the garment in which the mainback sections 13 terminate on or about the line 1-1. The tip like extremities are replaced by a pair of gussets 13 intended to serve the same purpose. Except for the order and nature of the operations in the making of the two garments and the separate gussets, they are otherwise similar in design and functions.

It will be seen from Fig. 5 that the corners C and D of the shields 12 have no coincident points in the main back section 13. Therefore without the gussets 13, the corners C and D of the shields would have an undesirable freedom that would permit them to flap or fold out of place and cause them to be annoying, i. e., with point 0, the

lowest point of shield 12 taken as a pivot point, it would be possible for the corner C, for example to fold on line 2-2, as shown by Fig. 5 by the dotted triangle OBC. But with the gnssets 13 in place C and D would meet C and D and be held in place.

lteferringto Fig. 6, it is seen that without the gussets 13 or their equivalents 13, a force acting as at D would draw D out to about the dotted position shown, folding on line 2-2. Forces at D can be overcome either by a strap 19 as shown dotted around the leg or by the gussets 13". The latter are preferable because they do not interfere with the freedom of the garment as a whole and are not liable to tear or .rip off. With the gussets the line of folding 22 is moved to the position 33 and practically passes out.

From the force diagram 20 shown on Fig. 6, it is evident that all outward or downward acting forces upon the shields 12 have a reacting component in the gussets 13".

While the above holds true for all tension forces that may act upon the garment during wear, it is evident that some forces may act upward. These compression forces are reduced to a minimum by the fact that the shields 12 incline toward the legs 18, hence away from the trousers by angle 17 i. e., by a reduction of the friction between the trousers and the shields 12. It is of course impossible to account exactly for all the distorting forces that might tendto disturb the hang of such a garment. It is sufficient to state that the above design features have been tried and found satisfactory; in that they give full knee protection in front with no bunching or curling in the rear of the knee and that they hang well and free without straps or other harness.

By comparing the Figs. 1, 2 and 3 with Figs. 1, 5 and 6 it will be seen that the lower tip like parts 13 of the former design serve identically the same functions as the gussets 13,-they connect the shields 12 to the main back section 13 and exert diagonal forces tending to hold the shields in their proper places! They may be termed integral gussets because they are made integral in the part 13.

The bias form of leg extremity, forming as it does a leg that is longer in front than in back with no loose corners to flap out of place, adapts itself especially well for a knee protecting garment. The design of Fig. 4 may also be regarded as a bias extremity garment.

It has been found by experience and is no doubt'well known that any garment tends to bulge or bag at the knees with wear. Bag or bulge is the result of the stretching action of the knees in front. Such a bagging of the knee shields is liable to be accompanied with lld small folds or creases about the horns of the shields, especially in the neighborhood of the points C and 3 and in the gussets 13. To alleviate this, the garment is given the fullness by means 15 as described, in its design. This fullness is similar to the tendency to bulge or bag so that it is evident that this garment design is an attempt to duplicate the form which the garment would naturally tend to take any way. The method described for causing the shields to hang inclined toward the legs removes material which would otherwise crease and fold about the gusset areas 18.

As a general rule, any garment of the under-garment class, in which the material is of very light weight and in which the legs extend below the knees,-this garment an exception,must extend far enough to be caught under the hose or hose supporters or to be otherwise held down, or the curling and bunching under the knee in the rear will cause it to become very annoying. Fastening by straps or other means takes the freedom out of the garment as a whole and destroys one of the most valued characteristics. The value of a garment that will hang by itself, requiring no means or methods of holding it down and at the same time give full knee protection in front is very evident. This garment acts between and protects both the wearer and the outergarment from each other.

I am. aware that the specific design and construction of this invention are subject to modification and changes and desire it understood that such modifications and changes as come within the scope of the appended claims are within the spirit of my invention.

W hat I claim as my invention is 2- 1. A garment adapted to be worn between the human body and an outer garment in cluding leg covers, said leg covers each comprising a main front and a main back section, said front sections being substantially longer than said main back sections providing shields to protect the knees in front from said outer garment, the side edges of said knee shields being gathered to give them a fullness, said back sections each being provided with two spaced apart tip like extremities exposing the knees in the rear, one edge of each of said tips uniting with the gathered side edges of said knee shields tying said shields diagonally to said main back sections, said tip edges being curved toward the rear to hold said knee shields inclined toward the legs, the other tip edges being colinear with the lower extremities of the knee shields forming a bias extremity for each of said garment leg covers.

2. A garment adapted to be worn between the human body and an outer garment including leg covers, said leg covers each comprising a main front and a main back section, said front sections bein substantially longer than said main back sections providing shields to protect the knees in front from said outer garment, the side edges of said knee shields being shirred to give them a fullness, said back sections each being provided with two spaced apart tip like extremities exposing the knees in the rear, one edge of each of said tips uniting with the shirred side edges of said knee shields tying said shields diagonally to said main back sections, the other tip edges being colinear with the lower extremities of the knee shields forming bias extremities for the garment leg covers.

8. A garment adapted to be worn between the human body and outer garment including leg covers, said leg covers each comprising a main front and a main back section and two gusset portions, said front sections being substantially longer than said main back sections providing shields to protect the knees in front from said outer garment and exposing the knees in the rear, said gusset portions forming diagonal ties between the side edges of said knee shields and the lower extremities of said back sections, the outer edges of said gusset-s being substantially colinear with the lower extremities of said knee shields forming bias extremities for the garment legs substantially as and for the purpose described.

at. A garment adapted to be worn between the human body and an outer garment including leg covers, said leg covers each comprising a main front and a main back section, said front sections extending sufliciently below said main back sections providing shields to protect the knees in front from said outer garment, said back sections each being provided with two spaced apart tips exposing the knees in the rear, one edge of each of said tips uniting with the side edges of said knee shields tying said shields diagonally to the main part of said back sec tion, the other tip edges being colinear with the lower extremities of the knee shields forming bias extremities for said garment leg covers and means in said back section tips holding said knee shields inclined toward the legs.

5. A garment adapted to be worn between the human body and an outer garment including leg covers, said leg covers each comprising a main front and a main back section, said front sections being substantially longer than said main back sections to provide shields to protect the kneesin front from said outer garment, and spaced apart means exposing the knees in the rear forming diagonal ties between the side edges of said shields and the lower extremities of said back sections holding the lower corners of said knee shields confined substantially as described.

6. A garment including leg coverings, said agonal ties between the side edges of said leg coverings each comprising a main front shields and the lower extremities of said and a main back section, said front sections back sections holding said shields inclined 10 extending sufiic'iently below said main back toward the legs substantially as and for the sections providing knee shields to protect purpose described. the knees in front, and spaced apart, means 7 exposing the knees in the rear forming di- HARRY F. GEIST. 

